Austin's Dedication

This weekend we headed home for a couple of important football games (that we won!), some family time, a little work time, and Austin's dedication at church. The whole weekend was a little wild with all we had going on combined with my favorite 2 year old "pushing his boundaries", but I thought Austin's dedication/our committment to the Christian rearing of Austin went perfect. He didn't cry or spit up or even grunt super loud. Whew. When we first went up Garrison decided he would just watch from AnAn's lap... but only for a minute before he felt sort of left out and the need to join his family. I was really proud of him for being so brave and getting out of AnAn's lap to walk up to us all by himself. Brother Garth stopped and waited for him to join us and everyone clapped. It was sweet. =) Then during the middle of the prayer he decided he wanted to go back and sit with AnAn. Ha!

During one of the songs AnAn left with him to take him to his Sunday School class so he wouldn't get in trouble during church. When they got right outside the sanctuary, he wanted to wait until he heard the song stop (I think he may have been having second thoughts about leaving the service). So AnAn was talking to him about going to his class afterwards and how he would have toys to play with and a snack to eat. Then she said, "They don't give you a snack in there" (referring to the sanctuary) and Garrison responded with a serious, concerned "Whyyy?" Needless to say after learning that piece of information he decided going to Sunday School was his best option.

I am so, so thankful that we were able to have the dedication services for both of our boys at FBC Barnesville, our home church. There is something truly special about dedicating our children (and ourselves) at the church we grew up in, were baptized in, and that both our parents and grandparents attend. It's such a blessing being apart of the same church as family. When I really think about it, they are the reason we were dedicating our baby in the first place. It's because of our parents' and grandparents' commitment to the Lord and the "Christian rearing" of us that there was a dedication taking place. God has been SO good to us.

After lunch with the whole fam and taking some pictures at "the fountain", Garrison fulfilled a dream and got on the red choo choo that we pass every single time we go over the railroad tracks in B'ville. He was thrilled... and jumping up and down from excitement. Thank goodness he calmed down once we got back to Covington. He was a wild man all weekend!

Thanks so much to Granna, Papa, Nana, Pops, AnAn, Kara, Allison, Granny, PawPaw, Nanny, Granny from Cartersville (as Garrison calls her), Amanda, and Dusty for sharing the weekend with us and serving as our biggest supporters, helpers, prayer warriors, and examples as we seek to raise our children in His likeness. We love you and are so blessed to call you family.